INTERGEO EXPO and CONFERENCE will kick off in Essen in just a few days. From 18 to 20 October 2022, INTERGEO will open its doors as an international networking platform for visitors from all over the world. Over 450 exhibitors from 31 countries will present their solutions under the motto “Inspiration for a smarter world”. A three-day international conference program and two stages at the EXPO will provide valuable information. For the first time in two years, INTERGEO is returning to the spectrum of services offered before the pandemic.
“This year’s INTERGEO represents a new beginning into the post-pandemic era. The desire for immediate professional exchange is now noticeable everywhere. Even with online communications being well established in everyday professional life, it cannot and will not adequately replace face-to-face encounters,” says Prof. Dr. Hansjörg Kutterer, President of the organizer DVW e.V. – Association for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management.
GEOINFORMATION AT THE HEART OF SHAPING THE FUTURE
INTERGEO 2022 in Essen is an international meeting place for trend-setting players and their groundbreaking developments on the way to a more sustainable future. In application fields such as Smart Cities, Building Information Modelling (BIM), climate change, sustainability, mobility and especially the Digital Twin, geoinformation is contributing to shaping the future in all its facets.
Climate change is a societal challenge of the highest priority. Geodesy, geoinformation and land management make central contributions to environmental monitoring with satellite methods and terrestrial procedures and document, among other things, changes in land cover and land use as well as the decline of glaciers. Digital city models are the basis for reliable planning of climate-neutral cities, reliable site assessments for the selection of locations for solar or wind energy. Geoinformation and digital terrain models are also probably the most important source of information for risk maps of natural hazards and rapid crisis responses, for example in the event of agriculture and resource-efficient mobility with highly accurate positioning methods. Finally, geodesy provides a globally uniform, spatial reference system of the highest accuracy, without which monitoring, and adaptation strategies would be impossible. “Geodesy, geoinformation and land management create valuable knowledge on climate change, and thus enables preventive and active measures by politics and society,” says Prof. Kutterer.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM AT TOP LEVEL
This year’s INTERGEO CONFERENCE will once again offer a comprehensive, wide-ranging program with international speakers.
On Tuesday, 18 October 2022, the topics will include geodata collection and management for Digital Twins, as well as the latest technological approaches in applications and research.
On Wednesday, 19 October 2022, climate change and geodata-based climate adaptation in cities, and rural areas will be on the agenda in the spirit of the above-mentioned motto of shaping the future. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the focus of the conference day – from decision-making tools for engineering offices to the integration of BIM and GIS to infrastructural planning with BIM and Digital Twins.
Thursday, 20 October 2022 will focus on topics relating to the real estate cadaster– from current changes in the processes and automation to the future of real estate cadaster and the professional profile of the ÖBVI. Further topics within the program are: Metrological applications in the field of environmental monitoring and remote sensing, the latest developments in the field of UAVs and, for the first time, a challenge on robotic laser scanning.
INFORMATION AND DISCOURSE IN LIVE FORMATS
Keynotes and panel discussions provide important information and impulses for discourse. Executive Vice President Hexagon, Dr. Jürgen Dold, and Thomas Eichhorn, Managing Director of the State Office for Geoinformation and Surveying in Hamburg, will shape the opening session on Tuesday with their keynote presentation: “When the Digital Twin becomes the Smart Twin”. In addition, the DVW e.V. will award the DVW Future Prize for outstanding achievements and groundbreaking ideas in geodesy, geoinformation and land management in the opening session.
On Wednesday, participants are invited to experience an expert discussion on the topic of “Climate Change – Solutions for City, Country, Space”. Experts include the President of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, Prof. Martina Klärle, Dr. Fran Friesecke from STEF – Stadtenwicklung Stuttgart and Burkhard Drescher from Innovation City Management Bottrop.
The panel discussion on Thursday on the topic of “Real Estate Cadaster 2030” looks into the future of the surveying industry. The panel will include Stephan Heitmann, Head of AdVs Real Estate Cadaster Working Group, André Schönitz, AdV Chairman, and BDVI President Michael Zurhorst.
“After years of distance, participating in INTERGEO in Essen offers a unique opportunity to experience information and current technical discussions at first hand. Here you maintain your network and make new contacts. The last few years have demonstrated how valuable this is. Come to INTERGEO 2022 in Essen! We look forward to seeing you,” says Prof. Dr. Kutterer.
INTERGEO EXPO – THE INDUSTRY LOOKS INTO THE FUTURE
The importance of international exchange at INTERGEO can be seen not only by glancing at the list of exhibitors at the 2022 event, but also by looking at the more than 100 new products announced. “With more than 450 exhibitors from 31 countries, INTERGEO 2022 is finally back and at an almost pre-pandemic level! Alongside sponsors HEXAGON and TRIMBLE, many large and small companies from all over the world form the backbone of the INTERGEO EXPO,” says Daniel Katzer, Managing Director of HINTE Expo & Conference GmbH, organizer of the EXPO.
A look at the activities of the companies is proof of the commitment and innovative power that the industry has unleashed in 2 years – for example, in the development and use of new fields of application for geodata and new types of processes for recording and collecting data in remote sensing, via drones or ground-based sensor networks and laser scanning. All these innovations inspire the digitalizing economy, administration, and science.
This year, companies are focusing strongly on the topic of Digital Twins and are permanently creating updated representations for decision-making processes with smart, digital realities. Real and digital worlds merge into one reality and are smartly connected with one another. The basis for this is provided by innovative sensor and software solutions. Interactions between people, objects and their data are the basis of platforms that realize collaboration and accelerated work processes, whether in the digital city, in construction or sustainable future planning.
“Numerous start-ups and new exhibitors will give this year’s INTERGEO important impulses. In addition, presentations and panels on the two stages enrich the discourse of the geospatial community and user industries,” says Katzer.
Data management, the formation of platforms and ecosystems and their operation within the cloud, will be the focus on Tuesday morning. INTERGEO will bring BIM and AEC workflows to the stage, as well as mobile laser scanning and solutions with UAV/UASs. The English-language panel “A World without Surveyors? How to Get Kids into Surveying?” will address the importance of introducing young people to this fascinating professional world at an early age.
Wednesday afternoon is also dedicated to young talent, with the “Weltvermesserer” campaign for young talent, pitches and exciting and inspiring bachelor and master theses, and the presentation of the CLGE Young Surveyors Award. Rounding off the program on Wednesday are presentations on (geo) data acquisition, digitalization, automation and AI, as well as monitoring and earth observation.
Digital Twins, GNSS and smart city solutions as well as lifecycle management and 3D modelling will dominate the program on Thursday. Visitors can look forward to the challenge for robotic laser scanning, which will be organized live at INTERGEO EXPO by exhibitors and will be awarded on Thursday afternoon on Stage 1 in Hall 3. The INTERGEO SCHOOL DAY offers pupils the opportunity to get to grips with geoinformation and to see and experience it in action. Before INTERGEO closes on Thursday evening, the World Geospatial Industry Council will announce and present the DEI Award.
“After two years of distancing, INTERGEO in Essen offers a variety of opportunities for meeting, networking and RE:CONNECTION. With the “CityNight” within walking distance of the exhibition grounds on Tuesday evening and the exhibitors’ evening on Wednesday, meeting points for exchange and reunions are offered. For all those who have to stay at home during this time, INTERGEO offers both the exhibitors online for networking and the stages in a stream at www.intergeo.digital. This year’s INTERGEO 2022 in Essen is a must for all users of geospatial solutions,” recommends Katzer.
